Freezing units for household refrigerators



Oct. 2, 1934. G. KNAPP FREEZING UNITS FOR HOUSEHOLD REFRIGERATORS Filed Oct. 30, 1929 ar/arm Patented 0a. 2, 1934 um'rso STATES FREEZING. UNITS FOR I IOUSEHOLD REFRIGERATORS Leland G. Knapp, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Montg omery Ward & 00., Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application October 30, 1929, Serial No. 403,374

5 Claims.

The object of the present invention is to simpli fy the construction of-the freezing units of household refrigerators, and so construct the same that the expansion of the refrigerant in its passage through the expansion coils may be utilized to the greatest advantage.

Furthermore, the invention contemplates a construction of freezing units wherein the assembly of the parts is such as to render ready detachment of the unit from the circulatory system, in the event of the necessity for repair or replacement of the parts, and also by which easy access may be had to the internal arrangement of the unit itself.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the nature of the improvements is better understood, the invention consisting substantially in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

The form of the invention delineated in the accompanying drawing and made the basis of the following description is regarded as a practical embodiment thereof. The invention, however, may be incorporated in other embodiments, and such changes as may be resorted to for defining the invention in other forms are regarded as within the scope of the invention and the subjoined claims definitive thereof.

In the draw a Fig. 1 is a side elevation, in partially enlarged longitudinal section, of a freezing unit embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. I

Referring in detail to the accompanying drawing, the numeral 10 designates the body of the hereindescribed freezing unit. As shown, it is substantially rectangular in outline, being open at its upper side at which point a closure cap 11 is located. The body 10 has an outstanding flange 12 which surrounds its upper edge, and to said flange 12 the closure cap 11 is detachably connected by a plurality of fastening screws 13. The flange 12, therefore, constitutes a seat for the closure cap 11, the latter being sealed to the body why an interposed gasket 14 arranged between the cap 11 and the flange 12.

One end of the box 10 is closed, asby a wall 15, the opposite end thereof being open, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and within the body 10 is arranged a chamber 16 which is spaced from the walls of the body 10 said chamber providing a pluraiity of freezing compartments 17 at the interior of the body. These compartments may receive the usual ice trays for the freezing of ice cubes or for other purposes where the prcdueticn of frozen products is desired. Any number or" these compartments may be incorporated in the structure. The forward end of the chamber 16 communicates with the open end of the body 10, its rear end being closed by the wall 15 of the body. By reason of the spacing of the chamber 16 from the walls of the body 10 unobstructed longitudinal vertical spaces 18 are provided at the sides of the unit, which spaces 18 are independent of and non-communicating with respect to each other, but said spaces communicate with an up w per horizontal space 19 located above the chamber 16 between the closure cap 11 and the top of-the chamber 16. The spaces 18 and 19 receive the expansion coils of the circulatory system. These coils are formed by a pipe of suitable material ranging in a continuous length as designated by the numeral 20. To afford a convenient application of the pipe 20 to the structure the ends of the same are mounted in the closure cap 11 at points which are in alignment with the longitudinal 30 spaces 18. They pass through the cap 11, as shown in Fig. 3, each end being secured to a coupling sleeve 21 having at its inner end a flange 22 which seats against the inner side of the closure cap 11. The outer ends of the sleeves 22 35 are screw-threaded, each of the same receiving a clamping nut 23, and said nuts 23 cooperate with the flanges 22 to tightly hold the ends of the pipe 20 in the closure cap 11. Washers 24 are interposed between the clamping nuts 23 and closure cap 11 to maintain tight joints at the points of the latter through which the ends of the pipe20 pass.

The pipe 20 is formed into a series of loops 25, certain of said loops being arranged to form two vertical banks, one of which banks fits within and occupies each of the longitudinal spaces 18. The loops intermediate the two vertical banks form a horizontal bank which lies over the top of the chamber 16 and occupies the horizontal space betweenthe top of said chamber 16 and the closure cap 11. This arrangement disposes the pipe 20 at the sides and top of the chamber 16 to subject the freezing compartments 17 to the most advantageous cooling action of the expansion coils formed by the loops 25 of the pipe 20. By mounting the ends of the pipe 20 in the closure cap 11 in the manner described and shown the expansion coils are supported entirely by the closure cap. Hence, when the cap 11 is removed 2 aeraesa from the body it} the expansion coils move with the same, so that the expansion coils may be conveniently introduced to the spaces 18 and 19 and removed therefrom as occasion may require.

That the cooling effect of the unit may be utilized to the greatest degree, the body 10 and the closure cap 11 are provided with radiating fins 28. The bottom of the body 14) is provided with openings 27 which form means for attachmerit of the unit to supporting members affixed to the refrigerator. l

The spaces18 and 19 are filled with'a suitable heat transfer agent such as brine, alcohol solution, glycerine or the like.

In the use of the, herein described unit, the coupling sleeves 21 are connected to the piping of the usual circulatory system found in household refrigerators, thus establishing communication between the expansion coils and the system. As the refrigerant moves through the latter it passes through the coils in the customary way where it expands, and this expansion is utilized for refrigerating the contents of the compartments 1'2! as Well as the external air within the refrigerator that surrounds the unit. By simply detaching the unit from the circulatory system at the coupling sleeves 21' and removing the screws 13, the closure cap; 11 may be removed from the body 10, thereby withdrawing the expansion coils from the unit for such attention as the same may require, or. for replacement by new coils in the event that repair is required.

By forming the pipe 2o so as to provide the two vertical banks of'loops or coils and the intermediate horizontal bank of loops ,or coils, the cham= ber 16 with-its freezing compartments 17 is surrounded at its two sides and top, and the expansion coils are distributed with respect to said chamber 16 so that the expansion of the refrigerantin its passage through the expansion coils is utilized to the greatest advantage. Obviously, this insures the most rapid cooling of the freezing compartments 17 and their contents and maintains the requisite low temperature desired in these compartments.

I claim:

1. In a unit of the class described, the combination with a body provided with a freezing compartment spaced from the walls thereof to provide longitudinal vertical spaces between said compartment and said walls, of a closure arranged at the top of said body, the top of the freezing compartment and said closure being separated to form a horizontal space at the top of the body in communication with the vertical spaces between the freezing compartment and the walls of the body, and a pipe connected to said closure and bent into loop formation to provide a series of expansion coils, the loops of said pipe being arranged to form vertical banks one of which fits within and occupies each of said longitudinal spaces, and a horizontal bank intermediate the vertical banks which lies over the top of the freezing compartment and occupies the horizontal space between the top of said compartment and said closure.

2. In a unit of the classdescribe'd, the combination with a body provided with a freezing compartment spaced from the walls thereof to provide longitudinai vertical spaces between said compartment and said walls, of a closure arranged at the top of said body, the top of the freezing compartment and said closure being separated to form a horizontal space at the top of the body in communication with the vertical spaces between the freezing compartment and the walls oi the body, and a pipe connected to said closure and bent into loop formation to provideo, series of expansion soils, the loops of said pipe being arrangednto form vertical banks one of which fits within occupies each of said longitudinalspaces, and a horizontal bani: intermediate the vertical which lies over the top of the freezing compartment and occupies the horizontal space between the top of said compartment and said closure, the ends of said pipe being projected through said closure and locsely received thereby, means for detachably connecthig the ends of the pipe to the closure, whereby the expansion coils are eetachably supported by the closure within the body of the unit. .7

3. In aunit of the class described the com bination with a closure, and a pipe connected thereto and bent into loop formation to provide a series of expansion cells, the terminals of said pipe being connected to opposite edge portions of the closure, the portions of the pipe adjacent to said terminals'being bent to form oppositely disposed vertical banlts-of loops, the portion of the pipe intermediate said vertical banks being arranged to form a horizontal bank of loops, of a body provided with a freezing compartment spaced from the walls of the body to provide longitudinal vertical spaces between said compartment and said walls, each of said vertical spaces receiving one of the vertical banks of said loops when the closure is assembled with said body, the horizontal bani; of loops fitting into the space between the top of said freezing compart-r ment and said closure in the assembled relation of the latter with respect to the body and exlltld tending over the top of said freezing compartmerit;

a. In a unit of the class described the comb!- nation with a closure, and a pipe connected thereto and bent into loop formation to provide a series of expansion coils, the terminals of said pipe being connected to opposite edge portions of the closure, the portions of the pipe adjacent a body provided with a freezing compartment spaced from the walls of the body to provide longitudinal vertical spaces between said compartment and said walls, each of said vertical spaces receiving one of the vertical banks of said loops when the closure is assembled with said body,

the horizontal bank of loops fitting into the space between the top of said freezing compartment and said closure in the assembled relation of the latter with respect to the body and extending over the top of said freezing compartment, the terminals of said pipe being projected through the closure and loosely received thereby, and coupling devices connected with said pipe terminals for detachably connecting the terminals to the closure, whereby the expansion coils are detachably supported by the closure. 5. In a unit of the class-described, the combination with a body having one end open and its opposite end closed and provided with a freezing compartment one end of which communicates with the open end of said body, the other end of said compartment being closed by the closed end of the body, said freezing compartment being spaced from the walls of the body and forming thereby, unobstructed longitudinal vertical nmmam.m,

independent of and havinl no cation with each other. the top compartmentv end the top of emtedtoicrmeherimntflsp'ecetherebetwem' o! a. pipe bent into loop Ionnetion series of expansion coils, the loops being arranged to term vertical bank: one 

